The Wallwatchers
by SkyeRice
Summary: They were the people who observed everything without being seen or heard. But Marauding curiosity destroys the illusion, pushing these three friends into the complete chaos of being seen. No Flamers. Rated M for language. SiriusOc RemusOc later.
1. Introduction

This is a story about a particular social group in Hogwarts School during the Marauder's Era.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hogwarts or the Harry Potter characters etc.

Introductions Please

Wallwatchers. That was what they had dubbed themselves. The three misfits who seemed to go totally unnoticed as they walked the corridors of Hogwarts School. No one saw them, but they saw everything and knew everyone to a T. They made a point of sneaking the halls without a peep being spoken to or about them and they went about their business with no trouble.

Being invisible has its perks but none so great as strutting your stuff in the middle of a crowd and not a single soul registering that you had ever been there. Valentine and Peony Connors had this gift along with their friend, William Taylor. Ever since the fateful day the three shared a compartment for the first trip to Hogwarts and the twins were educated on all things magic, they were inseparable.

To some, that would be the beginning of the story. Or perhaps it would be the first time Peony was rejected for Quidditch. Or the day the twins' father found out about school, went on a drunken rampage and ended up wedged in the wall of their flat.

Being invisible does lighten the blow of things such as this. No one gets in the way of healing before the next trying event occurs. It is the easiest way to get by sometimes but does not always last. For the curious always find a way of ruining things when they suddenly "notice" and won't stop "noticing". None were more curious than the Marauders. Those with curiosity strong enough to throw these three lives into complete chaos and destroy the order in which they lived their lives at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.


	2. Collision

~Collision

On the morning of September the First at King's cross station it felt like the most ordinary sunny day as a blue compact car packed full with luggage pulled up. A short, petite woman with frizzy blond hair exited the passenger seat. Platform shoes adorned her feet and her clothing was made up of a patchwork of colorful patterns. She slipped her sunglasses down her nose and leaned on the car door. With a sigh she looked across to the passenger, who was also slipping out of the small car. She towered over both her mother and the car by at least a foot and a half and her long dirty blond hair shone a bit of silver in a wavy, loose ponytail. Her bright tan eyes glistened in the sun as she squinted at her mother and leaned on the roof.

Janet sighed at her daughter, "You two are growing up far too fast." A boy squeezed himself from the packed back seat and leaned on the roof as well. He looked exactly like the girl save for short shaggy hair and slightly more angular facial features. But they were the exact same height, quite short for the average boy, quite tall for the average girl. They looked seamlessly similar.

"It had to happen sooner or later." He said to her with a smile to his sister

"We couldn't stay kids forever." She said

Janet pouted at them and slammed her door, "You could at least have tried."

"We did." They said in unison, "Resisted every bit of adulthood the world threw at us," said the boy "we tried so hard but it was only a matter of time." finished the girl.

Their mother moaned and groaned the entire time they unpacked the car onto trolleys then some more until they stopped at the barrier between nine and ten. She sighed again, " Well," She grabbed the boy's face with both hands, surveying him as though for the last time, despite having to go through this process another time next year, "You will always be my little Valentine." She pulled him down and kissed his forehead. Then Janet moved to the girl and repeated,

"And you will always be my little Peony flower." Another kiss was placed on her forehead.

She followed behind them closely as they went toward the barrier and sneakily slipped right through it without a soul noticing. Not long after they emerged onto Platform 9 ¾ Peony lightly bumped her trolley into someone else's then had no warning before she was barreled into and run over by another. James Potter, a boy in their house and year, had decided to try and ride his trolley the remainder of distance to the train. Sirius Black, on the other hand, decided it would be a good idea to propel him even faster with a hard push. Farther off, Black gave a disbelieving bark of a laugh and Mrs. Potter shouted, "James!" 

She jogged over to the scene of groaning teens on the ground tangled in luggage, "Why on earth would you do such a thing?" She helped her son up while Sirius looked confusedly at the girl James had shamelessly run over. She was shoving the boy's clothing from her face. He had no clue who she was.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" Val shouted at him, pulling a trunk off his sister's midsection and tossing it to the ground. Peony's Gryffindor Quidditch uniform rolled out of it along with a thick Care of Magical Creatures text. Mrs. Potter lifted the trolley off her leg and she hissed, a layer or so of skin had been scraped off by the wheel.

Janet helped her daughter up who balanced on one leg and her mother's shoulder, and then turned to fume at the boy. Before she could, his own mother stepped forward. She looked quite a bit older than most of the other parents, and had a sweet voice, "I am very sorry about this, sometimes my boys just do not think before they act." With that statement she looked over at James expectantly.

"Ah, yeah, sorry about that…" Being chewed out by his mother in front of his peers was definitely not what he intended when he woke up this morning. Sirius smiled inwardly at being referred to as one of her boys but his thoughts were still hung up. He and James thought through every girl they knew in Gryffindor then brushed off the thought until Mrs. Potter spoke again.

"I'll fix this up in a jiffy." She said sweetly. She knelt down and first waved her wand at Peony's ankle which healed up before their eyes. Janet marveled, then the wand was waved over the scene. Everything moved to their respective trunks and bags, including Peony's uniform, "All better! Now, I see you are on the Gryffindor Quidditch team! My little Jamsie was made captain this year."

James' nickname amused Peony to a smile as she put weight back on the once damaged leg. Janet ooh'd at the statement, "Isn't that interesting, Peony? She never tells me a thing about how these things work, sports and all that."

"Yeah, interesting." She said

Val scoffed, "Well, they can't get it right every year, can they?"

Peony laughed and Janet elbowed her son in the stomach then shooed them, "Get going, it's almost eleven!"

Val and Peony walked away with their things, "Captain of his own team and Gryffindor's, impressive." Said Val, referring to the recurring event in which James would publically play with a snitch by himself.

Peony laughed again, "Good enough to play by himself, who knew he needed a team." She replied, leaning on her trolley as they rolled away and looked back at a confused Sirius Black momentarily. Mrs. Potter and Janet seemed to be hitting it off while James stood, dumbfounded. He was just insulted by people he had no clue existed but apparently were in his house and even on his team.

Sirius clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder, "Don't even tell me that you aren't at all curious about this situation."

James looked at him with an eyebrow raised, "Challenge Accepted." He then pushed his trolley with a new found determination for information.

Meanwhile Valentine and Peony were scanning the compartments and dragging their things, looking for their friend William until they got to their usual spot. Every year the three always found their way to the same compartment in the middle of the train. In said compartment was their dark haired friend with his signature large glasses and a contemplative expression as he looked out the window at his parents. They were making polite conversation with another pair of parents, but seemed displeased.

The twins sat across from each other after heaving their luggage onto the racks above and looked out the window. To their surprise, their mother and Mrs. Potter seemed to be getting along swimmingly. They suddenly remembered that she would kill them if they didn't wave out the window so Val pulled it open, "MUM!" he shouted. They waved like maniacs out the window and smiled at her until the train started moving and Val nearly fell off the train and Peony had to pull him back in.

"So," Said Will with a serious expression and polite tone, "How was your holiday?"

Val squinted at him and leaned on his knees, "Don't bullshit me, you're pissed about something."

"Spit it out." Peony finished with a knowing glance, comfortably turning to him and putting an arm on the back of the seat, a leg tucked beneath her. Her higher position was more intimidating initiative for Will to tell them everything.

Will sighed and pulled off his glasses, pressing his fingers on his temples, "They came to my house."

"Who?" They asked together.

"_Them._" He looked at them, obviously very angry, "His followers."

The twins looked at each other in surprise, "What happened?" again, together.

"A disgusting man in a dark cloak apparated to our doorstep over holiday. Really fucking smug, I could tell." He added quietly, clearing his throat and staring at the floor, thinking over the experience. Will's polite speech and courteous tone was gone, his parents' expectations of his actions drained away in his friends' company, "They wanted to know where our family stood in this _war _of sorts. My parents told them they refused to take sides and preferred to hold no open opinion."

"Very… Diplomatic, your parents are." said Val quietly.

"Yes, wonderful isn't?" Will said sarcastically, "He left but only after they bribed him with a good sack of gold, bloody bastard." 

"Well," said Peony, "You're in the clear now aren't you?"

Will replaced his glasses and leaned on his elbow, "I'd say so, but…"

"But…?" They said, staring at him.

"The only thing I think could really tip this… No, never mind, forget it." He waved it off.

"Just say it, will you." said Peony.

Will sighed, "If someone at school found out I am such good friends with the two of you… They might… I don't think it's probable anyway, so don't worry about it."

The twins looked at each other but the serious tone of the conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. Naturally they all thought it was the lovely lady with the sweets cart because of their middle position in the train. After they tallied their money, Val got up to open the door but faced quite a different sight. Three fourths of the group known as the Marauders was at their doorstep.

Val was very confused, "What the-"

"Don't mind if we join you, now do you?" said James happily. He pushed past Val and took his seat across from Peony who then stared him down with slight confusion. Sirius placed himself next to her while Peter Pettigrew slipped by with a small "'scuse me", Val was too stunned to notice. He then took a seat next to James.

Valentine made sure to keep the door open while he addressed the three unwelcome visitors, "What do you think you are doing?"

James straightened his posture and looked him over, "Well, I wanted to formally apologize for…"

"Running over."

"Thank you Sirius, running over your sister here." He gestured to her like it was not completely obvious. James suddenly changed gears to 'business' and leaned towards her, "Who _are_ you?"

At the blunt question Peony was just wondering if he was serious but decided to play along, "_I_ am your chaser, Captain." She sarcastically saluted to him.

Sirius chuckled but Val just wanted them out, "Is that all?"

"If you are here only to question our identities I suggest you leave now and just be more observant in the future." said Will, also counting the moments before they left.

The amount of attention they seemed to be getting from people in the halls was extremely unwanted. Since Will's parents were being put under pureblood scrutiny Valentine wanted no more of this, "Get out now."

"Fine," Said James, putting his arms up in surrender and making his way out, Peter followed closely behind and Sirius stood and nodded to the room.

Before they left though, Peony spoke up in a condescending tone, "I will see you at practice."

Her brother picked up with a smile, "But will you see her, I wonder."

"I know I will." said Sirius as he turned and walked backwards out the compartment, hands in pockets. He then sent a wink to Peony before closing the door. She was slightly annoyed because she also understood the shortcomings of the attention on them and she was in no hurry to put her friend's family in danger.

They went about their usual business once left to their own devises and tried not to worry about their bit of attention. Eventually the woman with the food cart arrived and they began eating sweets, playing chess and swapping stories of summer as well as showing Will their birthday presents. A pocket watch that yelled at Val to get to class and a lovely bracelet that changed color with emotion. Peony knew she would rarely wear it but enjoyed her mother's thoughtful gifts. Ever since she found out how to get into Diagon Alley on her own she took every chance to get them presents with the help of the barkeep, Tom.

As the sun turned to leave the sky the Wallwatchers decided it was time to get changed. The school uniforms were definitely a large step up from the twins' usual borrowed basement wardrobe cropped trousers, tees and white all stars. Though Peony did prefer to wear the boy's trousers instead of the usual skirt. Unfortunately when she stepped onto the seat to inspect her trunk, she could find nothing but skirts. She grumbled, "Mum unpacked all my trousers again."

Val smiled at her, "Good old mum. She wants a real daughter, not _two_ teenage boys."

A yellow bra was flung from the trunk and onto her brother's head who then pulled it off and held it at arm's length. Unfortunately she could not find any of the trousers she had previously packed and turned on her brother, "Let me borrow some trousers."

"What? No, not again. Just wear the skirt, it won't kill you. Make mum proud for once." His sister glared at him but she did not have the gusto of her usual demeanor because of lack of food and sleep. So she relented and pulled the uniform fully from her trunk.

When she turned to change in the bathroom down the hall, her brother shouted behind her, "Put this stupid thing away!"

"Do it yourself! It's not like the damn thing is rabid!" She shook her head and closed the door to the compartment.

Uniform in hand along with her robes, she slowly made her way to the end of the hall. With their sneaking around Peony liked to take the liberty of feeling particularly slick in a way that only an old detective or secret agent could understand. References to her mother's jazz records also turned her usually boredom induced walking twirls into more of a production.

Invisibility restored to the best of her ability, no one in their compartments took a glance at her as she walked. Unfortunately to a certain group of teenage boys the illusion was shattered.

In their compartment, the marauders had been discussing the new discovery of now three people they probably should have known quite well already yet had no clue existed. Remus had joined them and was intrigued by the topic until their focus slipped, as usual. Somewhere along the line they had gotten off track and began discussing Quidditch teams and Remus pulled out a book. Then James and Sirius reared even further off-track with an avid argument about who would win if they tried to play in animagus form.

Despite the constant entertainment from his peers, Peter found his eye travel to the hall and he had to do a double take, "Uh, guys." He squeaked, his eyes darting from them to the hall back and forth.

"The antlers TOTALLY help me! You couldn't possibly get that quaffle by me!"

"Guys-"

"My paws could grip that sucker like nobody's business! You couldn't possibly ride a broom with hooves!"

"I could too!"

"GUYS"

The three looked at Peter in shock but he blushed a bit and pointed a thumb at the hallway right as Peony Connors strode past. Her long dirty blond hair swayed down her back and she put her hands in her pockets, holding a small pile of clothes.

James gaped, "How the hell do you not notice that? This school isn't so big that none of us would notice a girl like _that_. I mean… she's no Lily but, seriously."

They all threw their gazes on Sirius who put his hands up, "Don't look at me, I've never seen her before."

Remus sighed, "Obviously we've _seen_ her before. She's a Gryffindor and on the Quidditch team, but paying attention and seeing are two very different things."

"I refuse to believe that I_ ignored_ a girl that looks like… that." Said Sirius defensively

Remus shook his head at him, "Believe it or not, you did," He looked back down at his book then muttered, "and you're never going to live it down."

"Yeah, Padfoot, you're supposed to know all the ladies, at least in our house. Enough of them goggle at you." Said James with a smile

"Well that doesn't mean I _know_ them all," Sirius rolled his eyes, "We'll get to know her well, surely."

"Yeah, she's on my team…"

"PRONGS!" shouted Sirius, mouth wide, very suddenly as though he had a revelation, "What if she's a _Chaser._"

They all stared at James in disbelief, "You've been passing a quaffle to her for how many years and didn't have any clue who she was?" said Remus

"Well… I… You don't know she's a Chaser!" James spat, then Sirius elbowed him. His eyes were transfixed on the hallway as Peony walked past smoothly. Spinning on her heel, she passed them with her arms spread a bit as well as her skirt while her hair whipped around behind her. Thankfully she did not spot them gaping at her, but they tried their luck anyway, all but Remus jumping up and watching down the hall.

Unfortunately their view of her bottom was blocked by her school robes, "Bloody Robes ruin everything," said Sirius as they settled back into their seats.

"But, guys… They look like they're our age…" Peter said as he sat back down. The three looked at him.

"You're bloody well clever Wormtail." Said Sirius with a frown

"Really?"

"No, not really."

"But if they're our year and our house… That means that her brother rooms with us."

"What are you getting at, Wormtail?" said James impatiently

"We well… We're really not all that careful when we talk about you know, full moon trips and all that in the room. And we didn't know that he was there the _whole_ time."

Suddenly it hit them all like a ton of bricks. The three marauders turned anxiously to Remus who was looking into the distance, eyes wide and mouth agape. He stammered and looked over his friends, no response coming from him.

"I… What if he knows?" He said quietly to the others. They just looked amongst themselves with no answer for him. It was awkwardly quiet amongst them for the first time since they first found out about his little secret. He felt foolhardy for being so unobservant while his friends felt bad for being stupid enough not to notice. The atmosphere didn't change until they made their way to the carriages and headed off to the castle. James broke the silence, "Surely he's not an _awful_ person or anything, he's in Gryffindor."

"This coming from the man who hexes people for sport." Remus said under his breath, his hand over his eyes and resting on the window as they moved.

"Well… I'm easing it down a bit…" He said quietly as though he were a bit ashamed of the track record.

"I think what James means is that he doesn't seem the type to use it against you or anything," said Sirius, his tone strangely uplifting, "I mean, he's never even made himself known to us, he wouldn't just… blackmail you or something."

"Well, if he hasn't yet I wouldn't figure he would." said Peter, with a smile to his friend. It helped Remus a bit to know that they were making perfect sense in some form.

During the Feast the four could not help but panic a small bit despite their conversation, each tried to think of a plan. They couldn't go up to him any time soon obviously since he never seemed to part from his sister. All the way up to Gryffindor Tower they stayed almost shoulder to shoulder talking to each other. Then they disappeared from their view. By the time they got up to the dormitories his trunk sat locked at the end of his bed, its curtains hung around it.

Sirius had a mind to just rip them open and confront him but as he got an inch away from them he got a short zap. He pulled his hand away in surprise, "What the bloody hell was that?"

"He must put protective charms on his bed…" said Remus, contemplative

"Well, with us as roommates, I don't blame him." said James with a smirk at him, trying to lighten the mood.

"But we didn't even know he was here… we just kind of… ignored him?" Remus replied, his friends shrugged

"No use in worrying about it now," Said James, he patted Remus on the back with a smile, "get some sleep, we can talk to him in the morning."

Remus nodded, anxious about how that discussion might end up. They went to their respective beds and dozed off, all except Remus. His mind was full with what his roommate could have heard. All the things they mindlessly chatted away about without realizing. Eventually he slipped into a restless sleep, waiting for tomorrow to come.


End file.
